Title

Authors

DOI

10.1002/9781118663219.wbegss608

Abstract

Female farming systems draws attention to women's (re)productive roles in agriculture, with particular attention to questions of power, equity, and empowerment. Female farming systems as an organizing concept highlights what was a surprisingly neglected field of study until the 1970s and provides insights into the gendered nature of agriculture. In the past and the present the term “farmer” presumes a male identity. Globally, women have often been marginalized from farming by denying them access to the material resources needed for success such as land, labor, and capital. Due to a variety of reasons there is a feminization of agriculture underway, and therefore, it remains important to focus on questions of equity and empowerment for women engaged in agriculture. Although originally solely focused on women in low-income countries, female farming systems is now used to think about the varied activities of female food producers in both low- and high-income countries.